ALT-4 Diy Automotive Repair how to Change a Flat Tire
What do you do if you get a flat tire? How are you going to change it and do you have the knowledge to complete the job from start to finish? This is a subject worth some thought and if you aren't quite sure how to accomplish it, I'll offer some advice to help keep you safe in the event that you are faced with this dilemma. For those of you who aren't mechanically inclined my advice to you is to have roadside service of some sort in the event of a flat tire. The rest of the people who might read and heed this article can also be advised by someone who not only has changed many flat tires for himself but has helped many other people who have had mishaps with tires.
The tires made today are more rugged that the bias belted tires of yesteryear and a good many are designed to be driven for up to fifty miles after going flat. With this in mind the first and foremost thing to think about if your tire does go flat is a safe place to attempt to change the tire. If it is night time a well lighted area like a rest stop on a major highway is a good idea or if on a rural country road seek a service station or convenience store as they generally have a flat or semi flat parking area. This is important because you shouldn't try to jack your car on a hill or a sloped area. You also want to be somewhere where you are safe from a possible predator.
Where is the spare tire, the jack and the jack handle? The spare is located in a lot of vehicles under a panel in the trunk.On newer pick-up trucks it is under the bed and requires the jack handle to lower it to the ground. The jack may be under the hood or in some cases under the back seat. If you have never attempted this you may need to consult your owners manual for the location and other pertinent directions. Don't laugh about this advice because many of today's automobiles are uni-body construction and a lot of them don't have a typical frame like the older models. If you attempt to jack up the car in the wrong spot you can do major damage.
After you have located all of these items and made sure they are in working order and also that you indeed have a viable spare you can start the procedure. You'll need to place some blocking either in front or behind one of the good tires to keep the vehicle from rolling once you start to raise the vehicle. You can use a brick or a stone or even wooden blocks but you should definitely use somethingif it is available. Set the emergency brake even if you aren't sure it is working as a safety precaution. Now consult your owners manual for the "jacking points" on your particular vehicle, they will be clearly explained in detail to prevent both damage to the vehicle and to keep you safe as your make the repair.
So you have located the three items you need to change your flat, the tire.(or donut as some spares are called not having a full sized spare), the jack and the jack handle, blocked the tire and set the brake. You may want to have some other items handy if you are "dressed up" like a rag or a piece of carpet to kneel on. The floor mats may come in handy if you didn't plan ahead, don't be afraid to use one of them to spare your knees because it is very possible you will be kneeling for quite some time. Look under the car for the spot dictated in your manual and place the jack there and tighten it by hand until is is fairly snug. Now look at the center of the tire and discern if you have a hub cap to remove or the lug nuts a readily visible.
The jack handle sometimes has an end shaped like a screw driver for prying off the hub cap, if so use it in that manner and set the hub cap to the side. It may come in handy for placing the lug nuts into once you have them removed. Now break the lug nuts loose with the tool supplied but do not remove them completely yet. If they haven't been removed for awhile they may be corroded and not easily loosened. A well prepared motorist may have "Liquid Wrench" or "WD-40" handy and if this describes you then simply spray them generously and give it a couple of minutes to work.
Having broken each lug just loose enough to easily remove them now it is time to raise the car to a point where you can remove the flat but not any further for safety reasons. Take the lugs off completly now and place them into the hub cap like putting them into a bowl if it allows or put them somewhere where they will be easily retrieved. Carefully pull off the flat tire and lay it flat onto the ground. I have found that the flat can serve two purposes depending on your situation. It can either be placed under the car for safety purposes as if the jack were to slip the vehicle would fall onto the steel rim and possibly save you from being crushed, or you can use it to sit on in the event there may be another repair to make like replacing a broken stud which holds on your lug nut for example. In any event the flat tire can serve a purpose.
Now comes the time to raise the car just high enough to get the new tire on and no further if you can gauge this correctly. There is no reason to go any higher than you have to, again for safety reasons in the event the terrain keeps you from being able to place the spare or another object under the car for protection from injury. Did you remember put a rock or a brick or some sort of blocking behind one of the tires so it doesn't roll? Did you set the emergency brake? This is a good time to make sure you these things as you are going to be have to have your arms and maybe legs under the car in order to raise the spare tire onto the studs. Depending on the vehicle they can be very heavy and you may need to use your legs for leverage to get them into place. Safety is of the utmost importance, you should be very wary as most automobiles weigh more than a ton, some many tons. We certainly don't want any cars falling on ourselves do we?
We are almost done, so locate the removed lug nuts and put each one on a far as you can without the lug wrench tightening them with your fingers until they are snug against the rim. Carefully place the lug wrench on and give each one a gentle snugging but be careful not to knock the car off the jack. If you had placed the flat tire under the vehicle pull it out and move it off to the side. Let the car down off the jack slowly and put the jack off to the side also. Tighten the lugs as tightly as you can now with the lug wrench and put the hub cap on if you have a full sized spare tire. Locate all of your belongings into their proper places and you are ready to be on the road again.
If you followed these directions you more likely than not have all your fingers and toes intact and have successfully and safely changed your flat tire. Good job!
